ma Travel Guide
6/16/2008 at 4:00 PM
Tags: Coffee, Coffee Shops (all tags)
We love our Starbucks Alternatives, but sometimes we do enjoy the Green Monster. Our very own Hunter Walker just checked out a unique bit of coffee gadgetry for us.
This weekend I had the opportunity to check out the infamous $11,000 coffee maker at a Starbucks on Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The coffee machine, known as the Clover, is seen as such a revolutionary piece of Java technology that Starbucks purchased the company that makes it back in March to prevent it from popping up in too many independent cafes.
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by Hunter Walker
6/12/2008 at 11:30 AM
Tags: Starbucks Alternatives, Coffee Shops, Coffee, Free WiFi, WiFi (all tags)
This quirky North Boston cafe is about as far from a corporate coffee shop as you can get.
Owner L'angelo--who goes by one name--named his place after his two favorite dances, and that should give you a hint to Flamepoeira's artsy sensibilities. The sandwiches are all named for famous artists: You can go for the classic Da Vinci or the eclectic Dali, but you'll get more props from the staff if you venture for the avant-garde Warhol or the screaming hot Munch.
The espresso is strong and the WiFi is free, but this isn't the place to put on the earphones and dive into work. The lounge-y open room inspires conversation, and the cafe draws a crowd of artists and activists who are quick to slide in next to you and talk your ear off about the eclectic artwork on the walls, Barack Obama's election chances or the virtues of fair-trade coffee.
Related Stories:
· Flamepoeira [Official Site]
·
Starbucks Alternatives coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: GV Chang]
by BS
6/09/2008 at 12:00 PM
Tags: Film Festivals, Film Festival Travel, Nantucket Film Festival, Islands, Summer Travel (all tags)
Summer film-going doesn't always have to mean massive blockbusters. Combine a great getaway with a well-established film festival in a stunning location and you're set. The 13th Annual Nantucket Film Festival runs June 19-22, featuring independent, studio-produced, foreign, documentary and short films in every genre, including world and US premieres.
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by sedona
6/06/2008 at 11:30 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Commencement Travel (all tags)
Harry Potter creator JK Rowling donned the proud crimson robes as she picked up an honorary degree after her recent speech at Harvard.
Rowling joked before reflecting on her own graduation and journey from single mum to publishing-industry savior:
All I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world's best-educated Harry Potter convention.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke also spoke during the commencement activities in Cambridge, which: No fair! Save some celebs for other schools!
Related Stories
· Commencement Travel: That's Doctor Silver Hammer to You [Jaunted]
· Harry Potter Checks In To Jumeirah Beach Over Summer [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Just Jared]
by egw
4/29/2008 at 11:00 AM
Tags: Starbucks Alternatives, Boston Travel, Coffee Shops, Coffee (all tags)
If you find yourself in Boston's impossibly preppy-but-undeniably picturesque Beacon Hill neighborhood, please, whatever you do, we beg of you, order and immediately devour an almond croissant from Cafe Vanille. All the pastries are as quaint as the shop's surroundings but the buttery, flaky dessert is what you have to get.
Down the street there's a Starbucks, naturally, hidden behind an unassuming, colorless sign. (The neighborhood requires vendors--even 7-11!--to have small, uniform wooden placards). Even without it's distinct green sign, its coffee is still bitter and the atmosphere still ubiquitous. Trust us, you're better off at Vanille instead.
Related Stories:
· Cafe Vanille [Official Site]
· Starbucks Alternatives [Jaunted]
· WASP Hotels [HC]
[Photo: Robreed]
by ced138
4/14/2008 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Wine, Wine Travel, Festivals, Wine Festivals, Islands, Spring Travel (all tags)
If you're a wine aficionado but don't want to trek all the way to Napa this spring, you can keep it East Coast during the the 12th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival from May 14-18.
The fest is staged entirely in downtown Nantucket, making everything walkable and easy to find. And what's "everything" you ask? An amazing line-up including seminars from famous epicureans (Jody Adams, Anthony Susi and more) to an auction dinner at the White Elephant to a special "Great Wines in Grand Houses" program where guests enjoy intimate wine tastings in some of the island's classic--and classy--homes.
Tickets are going quickly for all events, but if you want to splurge, buy the "Grand Cru" for $550 per person and you'll have an all-access pass to the week's events. If you're looking for a quaint spot to stay, check out The Cottages, a collection of 33 little rental homes set on Nantucket's wharf, a short walk from downtown. Don't forget your whale critter tie!
Related Stories:
· Natucket Wine Festival [Official Site]
· Datebook [NYT]
· Nantucket Travel Guide [Jaunted]
[Photo: ThunderChild5]
by sedona
3/12/2008 at 1:00 PM
Tags: Technology Travel, Cars, Driving, Green Travel, Rental Cars, Car Rentals (all tags)
Ever notice how the waiting areas at car rental offices almost never have seats? See, they'd prefer you fall asleep on your feet so you'll be more apt to sign your life away in case someone accidentally breathes on your car in the parking lot. Well, fear us, rental-car agencies of the world!
Or rather, fear scientists at MIT who have been working on a car you can check out as easily as an airport luggage cart.
The electric City Car, a two-seater just slightly smaller than a Smart Car, folds in half for parking and is easily rechargable. The team's even contemplating installing a joystick that would allow users to steer the car. A joystick! All that and it "promotes a socially responsible and more effective means of urban mobility."
Related Stories:
· City Car [Official Site]
· Rental Cars coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Smart Cities project]
by egw
1/10/2008 at 11:45 AM
Tags: Airport Security, TSA, BOS, Guns (all tags)
Just a reminder to everyone out there: We know the TSA is constantly changing the rules, but you still can't carry a loaded gun onto your flight. Sorry to remind those of you who already know this, but apparently Louis Tasiopoulos didn't remember.
He was about to hop onto his JetBlue flight from Boston to Florida, police say, before they caught him with a 9 mm Glock pistol. Seriously? Tasiopoulos told police:
I forgot it was in my bag...I meant to leave the gun in my room at the hotel and could not leave it in my truck.
He's been charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a secure area, and has already been convicted in the court of TSA opinion. Said an agency spokeswoman, "It is beyond stupid to think that you can pass through a security checkpoint with a loaded gun."
Related Stories:
· Is That a Gun in Your Carry-on Bag? [Boston Herald]
· Airport Security coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
